A colony for 50 years, federated , Unified to Ethiopia , in 1991's seceded after three decades of rebellion. Since 1998 Eritrea is at War, harboring proxy warriors especially the notorious Al- Shabab. Torture ,imprisonment , thousands fleeing, no religious freedom , the only university is closed, everybody is in the army, No Parliament, No election, No functioning institution, No free press & all living journalists are in prison. Eritrea is called the North Korea of Africa.

Friday, December 30, 2016

December 29, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) - Eritrea has dismissed reports alleging that the Red Sea nation has leased the port town of Assab to the United Arab Emirates.

Recently the Beirut based Arabic TV channel, Al-mayadeen reported that UAE has acquired a 30-year lease for military base in the port of Assab.

Asmara denied the report saying unfounded and deliberately aimed to tarnish image of the country.

Eritrea’s ministry of information accused the TV channel of broadcasting a speculative news "in a highly dramatized manner and without rudimentary verification"

The ministry said this is not the first time for Al-mayadeen to broadcast "false reports"

In June, the ministry said the TV channel has reported that Israel has completed the construction of its largest listening post in Eritrea’s Emba-Sora area to monitor maritime movements in the Babel-el Mendeb and eavesdrop on Iran.

"The TV channel was then requested by Eritrea to explain its sources rectify the false news, and desist from unwittingly serving as a gullible mouth piece for sinister forces who harbour hostile agendas against Eritrea" the ministry added.

But it said failed to respond in accordance.

Eritrea’s opposition officials here in Addis Ababa on Thursday told Sudan Tribune that the UAE navy has rented port Assab for three decades at a cost of around $ 500 million, an allegation Asmara denies.

However a UN monitoring body previously has reported that the UAE and Saudi had leased the port town in a bid to boost their coalition battle against Houthis militants against Yemen.

The Ethiopian government had previously warned that Saudi and UAE would bear the consequence if the countries back Eritrea regime’s agenda in and around Assab port to destabilize Ethiopia.

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki in Cairo in a meeting that was a "deliberate move" against Ethiopia, political sources in Cairo told The New Arab.

The two leaders met on Tuesday to discuss enhancing bilateral relations across all levels and projects related to fishing and agriculture, local media reported.

Ethiopia is building a hydropower dam on the Nile close to its source in the Ethiopian highlands, raising fears in Egypt, which depends on controlling the flow of the Nile's waters for its survival.

"Approachment with Ethiopia's enemy and demonstrating the possibility of cooperation could pressure Addis Ababa to be more flexible in dealing with the Renaissance Dam or it could make the situation worse," the source said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"The aim of this meeting is to send a message to Ethiopia. In the past there has been non-serious talk about Egypt striking Ethiopia, however, it could possibly supply Eritrea with arms," he added.

Former Egyptian diplomat Maasoum Marzouq said that using Eritrea to intimidate Ethiopia was a tactic that must be used with "extreme caution".

In October, Ethiopia accused Egypt and neighbouring Eritrea of supporting outlawed rebels and stoking an unprecedented wave of protests that has led the government to declare a six-month state of emergency.

An Ethiopian minister said there was "ample evidence" that Egypt had provided training and financing to the Oromo Liberation Front, a group labelled a terrorist organisation by Ethiopia.

He added that "elements in the Egyptian political establishment" were fomenting rebellion, seeking to promote "historical rights" over access to the River Nile.

Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a two-year border war between 1998 and 2000 which left 80,000 dead, and tensions between the neighbours flared again earlier this year.

Ethiopia's government is facing the biggest challenge of its 25 years in power from protesters who have turned their anger against foreign-owned companies, torching several farms and factories in the past week.

Rights organisations have already criticised authorities for a harsh security crackdown on nearly a year of protests that has killed hundreds.

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About Me

Prof. Muse Tegegne has lectured sociology Change & Liberation in Europe, Africa and Americas. He has obtained Doctorat es Science from the University of Geneva. A PhD in Developmental Studies & ND in Natural Therapies. He wrote on the problematic of the Horn of Africa extensively. He Speaks Amharic, Tigergna, Hebrew, English, French. He has a good comprehension of Arabic, Spanish and Italian.